When we first moved to Davis and the kids began getting
involved with various organization, my job became publicist for just about every
organization with which I became involved, from PTA to Little League. I discovered I
was sort of good at it. One of my more successful campaigns was getting a television
sports guy to bring a camera crew to the swimming pool to cover the Davis Diving Team's
preparation for an upcoming meet.

As the kids got older, our activities seemed to center more
around theater than anything else. I was publicist for the Sunshine Children's
Theatre, and for other (now defunct) theatrical organizations, including the Davis Comic
Opera Company.

The long-time entertainment editor of the paper retired and
a new woman was hired to take her place. As I recall, she was recruited from out of
town. I spoke with her a couple of times and decided that I would curry favor by
taking her to lunch, to meet her and so that we could each get an idea of how we worked,
and how we could best help each other.

Our lunch seemed to go well. We got a long well
during her brief time here and she was always willing to go the extra mile for me, if she
could do it. For my part, I tried never to need the extra mile by being pepared
and turning all of my information in in a timely manner, and when she had done something
good for me, I always wrote to thank her. We had a good working relationship.

Oddly (and disappointingly) enough, nobody has ever thought
to invite me to lunch to figure out how I like to get information and how we can
help each other (or, for that matter, to thank me for going the extra mile). It's
not that I expected it, but it made me realize what a damn good publicist I was!
I meet once a year with the publicity person for the university to plan out the
productions throughout the school year, but we meet at a coffee shop and we each buy our
own coffee.

Today, I got treated to lunch by the guy who has taken over
Derrick's responsibilities. It was kind of cool. This fellow (who is the
husband of the newspaper's editor and who has been a newsman for more than 30 years,
though took a break for several years to do other things) is a sports guy. His
taking over entertainment news is like me taking over the sports desk. The things
that Derrick knows intuitively, Bruce needs to learn, though he's mostly doing well.

We had a delightful lunch, getting caught up on old times.
I was being witty, sincere, a delightful luncheon companion.

Until one point where Bruce said "oh-oh" and
pointed in the general direction of my body. I looked down and there was a piece of
pad thai on my shirt, which I picked up in my fingers and put into my mouth, realizing as
I did it what a bad thing that was to do.

But I didn't have time to concentrate on that social faux
pas because as I raised my hand, napkin still clutched in it, a long silvery strand of pad
thai noodle glistened in the air, looking like a flat worm with garbage all over it.

No chance to maintain much dignity after that. I was
just grateful that I was dining with someone I knew, that I already had the job,
that he seems to think I do a good job, and that this is a small town and we weren't
dining in some fancy schmancy restaurant in San Francisco!

Peggy once tried to explain to me why I am such a slob when
I eat. It's really amazing how much food escapes between the plate and my mouth, how
much of it falls on my chest or rolls down onto the floor. It's easy to understand
why the dogs like to sit under my place at the table, hoping for some of those stray bits
to land on the floor. I'm as good a source of treats as a baby in a high chair.

Mostly it doesn't matter. It's only people who love
me who have to watch how disgusting I am when I eat. I really do try not to talk
with food in my mouth, to keep my mouth closed when I chew, and to lean over the plate as
I pick up a forkful of food, but somehow that doesn't seem to help. I really should carry
a bib around with me, if I were serious about keeping clean during mealtimes!

It's probably good that I never had a career in the
business world. If I had tried to become a successful business woman, my cleaning
bill would be a whopper, and I would be a constant embarrassment to my co-workers.

PHOTO
OF THE DAY

The god in the window of Ket Mo Ree
is looking out on the Davis Enterprise building